Making the porn that he wants to see

I caught up with filmmaker Ivan Sobris to talk about the importance of stimulating your senses.

When did you discover and start to explore your passion for film-making?

Very late. I’ve always been fascinated by movies, but I was already 27 or 28 when I actually started thinking about making them myself.

I was at yet another crossroads, both personally and professionally, and I needed a fresh start. I took a foundations class in film-making and started making short films.

Ivan Sobris on set with River Wilson (image supplied)

What drew you to start specialising in gay porn?

Not being able to get off to porn anymore.

I grew bored of mainstream porn. I don’t know why or when it started, but I slowly realised that most porn looks very fake and unnatural, and it wasn’t exciting anymore.

I started thinking about what I wanted to see, then I took my camera and filmed it.

How would you describe the porn films that you produce?

I guess it’s more sensual and intimate, that’s the feelings I try to convey anyway.

Ivan Sobris | Photo supplied

Who are some of your gay porn heroes and inspirations?

I don’t like the word heroes, but anybody who uses their visibility for a cause has my deepest admiration. To name just a few — Buck Angel and his advocacy work for trans rights, Jacen Zhu and his #takedowntina campaign, and Nic Holas with The Institute of Many that supports people living with HIV.

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For the inspirations — Pier Paolo Pasolini, André Téchiné, Sebastien Lifshitz, João Pedro Rodrigues, Bruce Labruce, and so many others. Not all of them made pornographic movies, but they were my first introduction to eroticism and pornography.

I’ve masturbated so much watching the Jérémie Elkaïm and Stéphane Rideau scene on the beach in Come Undone — my bed sheets still remember it!

I don’t think a JustFor.Fans in itself can really help expand the reach, but I haven’t had time to really look at all that I can do with it yet. For me, it’s more a way to assess if people like my videos enough to pay for it.

What sort of feedback do you get from your audience?

So far, the feedback has been surprisingly good. I’m very critical of my work, so it’s been good to receive some nice words from complete strangers.

I have a very organic approach to making movies — I like improvising as much as I can, so what people expect has a very limited impact on what I end up doing because I don’t really expect anything myself until it’s happening.

Ivan Sobris on set with River Wilson (image supplied)

What do you hope that people feel when watching your films?

I hope they feel the sensuality, because it makes sex so much better. No matter how rough you like sex, the more senses you stimulate then the higher the pleasure.

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What are some of your goals and ambitions for the months ahead?

On a personal level, improving my skills. I’m satisfied enough with my videos to show them, but it’s still far from what I’d like to be able to do. It’s a journey, I’ll get there eventually.

On a business level, it’s too soon to tell but I’d really like to start a studio. My JustFor.Fans is the first step — I’ll see in a few months if people are ready to pay to see my movies and I’ll take it from there.